Breakaway
by CRITICly Anonymous
Summary: Haruka lived her whole life in the spotlight as a famous actress. Now she's stepping down to pursue college, in an attempt to be normal, for a few years. Along the way, she meets a rather interesting character, who has some dreams of his own.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: yeah, so, my other account's email got hacked, so I guess I'm stuck posting here for a while. Anyway, this is a chapter fic, and I have everything plotted out, for the most part, I just don't know how many chapters its going to be.

Title has nothing to do with story. Kelly Clarkson's song just happened to come on a lot while I was writing (I listen to a lot of music).

* * *

Breakaway- Chapter 1

"So, Haruka, I hear you're going to be going to college?" a young blonde spoke on the television.

A young brunette smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I'll be hitting the books soon. I'm super excited," she replied with a grin.

"What does this mean for your acting career?" the interviewer asked her.

"Well, I guess that'll all be on hold for now, until I receive my associates. It'll be hard, not doing something that I love so much, but my dad always taught me that education comes first. Not only that, but I know that I-"

The television screen went blank. Across the room, a green haired boy held the remote, chuckling and shaking his head. He had seen the program once before. All this star ever talked about was "Well, dad says" and "I'm sure dad would..."

"Daddy's girl..." he muttered to no one. With that, he went off to get packed for the first semester of college.

* * *

Haruka had left her house feeling quite excited. She would be starting classes today. She had never been to a public school before. Her father had always left her education up to private tutors, so that she could focus on her acting.

This year, she would be a freshman in college. The feeling was exhilarating, yet nerve wrecking. In addition to the worries and concerns most new college students had, the entire campus is bound to have heard of her, meaning she had a lot to live up to. Her hopes for the new year would be to live a relatively normal life, and take a break from the fame she had acquired through her and her father's career.

As she made her way deeper into campus, Haruka pulled out her smart phone, to look up her class schedule. She made a mental note of what time and the building her class was at, before pursuing to her destination.

She quickly made her way up the stairs in the Hash Hall, and proceeded her way towards room 342, where her literature class would take place. The halls were empty, as were the classrooms. She glanced at her phone's time. 7:17 am. Class didn't start for another 43 minutes.

"Guess I may as well go ahead and go in," she said out loud, opening the door.

The room was small and filled with high school desks. It wasn't what she expected. The only light coming into the classroom was the light from the window. She didn't want to sit in the dark, however she also didn't want to be the one to turn on the light. Finding a seat in the front right corner of the room, she situated herself. She awkwardly looked around, not knowing what to do with herself.

Haruka pulled out her phone. As she explored her phone for apps to keep her busy, a slender, black haired, ruby eyed boy entered the room and looked around. His eyes landed on Haruka.

As she looked up from her phone, the boy's eyes widened. "Holy! You're...wow! I mean...hi." He walked over and stuck his hand out for her to shake. Haruka gave him a smile.

"Uhm...hi! I'm Haruka." she introduced. His grin widened and he sat behind her.

"I know who you are! The name's Yuki. Yuki Odamaki."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Yuki," she told him, glad that she wouldn't have to sit awkwardly alone anymore.

A smile was still plastered on his face.

"Wow, I knew you'd be coming here, but I didn't know you'd be coming _here_," he told her. "Not sure if that makes much sense." Haruka laughed.

"It makes plenty sense, trust me. I felt the same way about it." He laughed, making Haruka begin to feel a little uncomfortable. She was used to this behavior: fans constantly grinning around her, laughing at everything she said. It made her even more nervous. Nonetheless, he didn't seem so bad, she decided. He was even kind of cute, in a boyish type of way.

"So," he started, looking at her. "Why'd you decide to come to the great University of Petalburg?" Haruka shrugged.

"I guess I just kinda wanted to stay close to home."

"Why'd you even wanna come to college? I mean, you're set for, like...ever." Haruka gave a small laugh.

"My dad says education is good for you. Besides, I like learning," she explained. He nodded.

"Cool, cool." He looked up at the ceiling, as though in thought. "Do you, like, know Daigo Tsuwabuki? Or Saori Takahashi?"

This is what Haruka dreaded. The famous "Do you know..." game. It was common among new actors and fans to ask her who she knew, who her friends were, and who she had the numbers of. She had expected it, but not this soon.

"I know Saori, but I've never worked on a film with Daigo Tsuwabuki. He seems like a good director, though. I've seen his works..."

As she was beginning to become disenchanted with the boy, two more students, both male, walked through the door, talking to each other. One of them, a green haired boy glanced at her, looked away, and had a double take, but he didn't miss a beat in his conversation. He looked away, and didn't glance at her again.

"All I'm saying, Shota, is that Dragonite beats Charizard, hands down." The green haired boy said. The other boy, presumably Shota, slammed his hand on his desk.

"The fuck you gonna sit here and tell me, Shu?" he said, grinning. "I'm a Pokémon Master!"

Yuki turned his head towards the conversation.

"Not even!" he jumped in. The boys looked towards him. "Charizard has higher speed and special attack stats. Not to mention it fucking owns." Shota stood up, rushing to Yuki with his hand raised for a high five.

"Thank. You," he said, triumphantly.

"Doesn't Charizard have a weakness to electric type moves?" Haruka spoke up. "Dragonite can learn electric type moves, which are super effective against flying types like Charizard."

The three boys looked at her, Yuki with a nod. Shu, the green haired boy who had been arguing Dragonite's case, looked back at Shota.

"Charizard does look cooler than Dragonite, though," he said.

Haruka faced the front of the classroom, a blush creeping on her face. Did he change his argument because of who she was?

As she opened her notebook, attempting to look productive, more students piled into the classroom. Some glanced at her and whispered excitedly. Some looked at her and laughed. None approached her. As more students piled in, she began to become more and more self-consious. What did they think of her? Did they hate her? Were they intimidated by her?

At 7:55, the professor finally came in. He was a young, thin individual. Someone that one would expect to have been bullied in high school. He looked around the classroom, his eyes lingering on the green haired boy, before continuing to search the room. His eyes lingered on Haruka, then on his role. He looked at the class.

"Alright, I think enough people are here so that we can go ahead and get started. I'm Professor Oshiro..." As he continued introducing himself, Haruka looked at the other members of the class. She noticed some looked away as she met eye contact. Some gave her a smile. "So, before I hand you a syllabus and we get started, I guess you all can get into a group of five and introduce yourself to each other." Haruka looked up at the professor. By the time she had looked back, four people, including Yuki and the boy called "Shota" had already surrounded her. They all looked at each other

"Yo! I'm Izumi," a black haired girl spoke. "I'm an undecided freshman. Annnnd...I don't know what I want to do quite yet." She looked to the left of her, to Yuki, signifying he was next.

"Guess I'll go. Uh..I'm Yuki, Biology and Chemistry double major, and pre professional health and education double minor."

"Dang," Izumi interrupted. "You go, bro." The group chuckled around him, leaving him to smile sheepishly.

"Well, I'm a sophomore, and I hope to be a scientist, maybe a teacher," he finished. He looked at Haruka. She looked at the other group members, who seemed a little too overjoyed to hear about her talk about herself.

"I'm Haruka, freshman, and I'm here for a liberal arts major," she told them.

"Not a acting degree?" a male member asked. She shook her head.

"No, I kinda wanna try something different. When I finish, guess I'll go back to my current profession." She wanted to avoid saying "Acting." She didn't want to be known simply for her talents in the celebrity industry. She looked at the boy next to her.

"Oh, I guess I'm Ken, freshie. My major is undecided and I don't really know what I want to do when I get outta college. I'm kinda just here cause my parents said its either college or I move out, sooo, guess who has a place to live." Another round of chuckling passed over the group.

"I'm Shota," the hefty boy introduced. "I'm a Theatre major and I wanna act on stage when I'm older." He looked at Haruka and gave her a wink. "Maybe you could offer some advice later?"

As he said this, the professor called the class's attention.

"Alright, that should've been enough time for you guys to kinda get to know at least some people, so you guys can go back to your seats." As the students shuffled back to their seats, Professor Oshiro pulled out a book. "This should be the book you all got for the class. The first story well be looking at and analyzing is Macbeth. Now does anyone know what the story is about?"

Yuki rose his hand. He looked at him expectantly.

"If i remember right, Macbeth is a story of a man who was prophesied to become a king, right? Then he finds out about it, and tries to make it happen," he explained. Professor Oshiro nodded.

"Yes, that is very true," he said, giving him a nod of his head. "That being said, before you read the story, which by the way, should be completely read by next...Wednesday?" He glanced at a class schedule. "Yes, next Wednesday. Anyway, we are going to do a little exercise. Just some questions to make you think, before you read the story."

Haruka smiled inwardly. She loved anticipation questions, as they let her express herself. She figured this was her chance to let her classmates know that she wasn't just some face that was in the tabloids. She was smart. She was worth something.

Throughout the rest of class, many questions were asked, most of them being along the line of "Is temptation wrong?" or "Should you break moral codes for strangers?" Near the end, a question finally came up that had piqued her interest.

"Does pursuing glory make you selfish?" asked the professor. "If no, stand. If yes, stay sitting." The professor glanced around the classroom.

'This is it,' Haruka thought, as she contemplated what her words would be. 'You can prove it now.'

She looked around the class, to see if anyone else would comment. No one responded.

"No one?" Professor Oshiro said. "No one thinks its unselfish?"

Slowly, the brunette stood. A chuckle came from the back of the classroom.

"Of course the famous girl doesn't think so," a male voice came. She glared towards the back, where the taunting voice had come from, before facing the teacher again.

"Name?" the professor called.

"Haruka Tanaka."

"Go on, Haruka."

"I guess in all honesty, I'm one of those people who're scared to die," she revealed. "I don't want to be unable to think, I don't want to be forgotten. If I can become famous, to have my thoughts known around the world, for my words to be quotes in essays and speeches long after my death, it's as though I never truly die...is that so selfish?"

The teacher seemed impressed, as did most of the students.

"Well," the teacher said, fixing his glasses. "That's something to think about." He looked around the classroom. "No one else seems interested in making a comment to that, so moving o-"

"I have something to say." It was the same male voice as before, interrupting the teacher. Everyone turned to a green haired boy in the back, Shu.

"Name?" the professor encouraged.

"Shu Nagano," he replied to the professor. He turned his attention towards Haruka. "The question was if pursuing glory makes you selfish. You're asking for people to think about YOU even after you die. Not only that, but you said you want your words to be heard, but what about everyone else?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Haruka replied.

"Your thoughts are heard, but no one else's? That's kinda selfish if you ask me."

"Well," Haruka said. "It's not like others don't have the same opportunity to pursue the same glory..." Shu laughed at her answer.

"Are you serious?" he mocked. The professor scowled.

"Let's move on from this topic."

"Everyone's granted the same opportunity?" Shu interrupted. "Yeah right. You're famous because you're a hot chick who can sing and had a famous casting director dad-"

"Excuse me?" Haruka interrupted, angrily. "I'm an actress because I work hard at what I do!"

"Oh, please! Your daddy puts you in films he casts for, and you reap the reward. That's not hard work."

"Okay!" The professor interrupted. "As much fun as you two are having, class is running out of time. Don't forget to read that play, and Nagano, Tanaka- here. Now."

Haruka could feel her heart racing. This was NOT how she wanted her first day of class to go, at all. She glanced at Yuki, who gave her a shrug as he left the room. She collected her belongings, swiftly and put her yellow bag around her back. She looked at Shu, who seemed to be taking his time with his possessions, a scowl on his face.

She walked to the professor's desk as the other students scurried from the classroom. Professor Oshiro glanced at her, then to Shu, who followed behind.

"I don't know if that was a 'heat of the moment' ordeal or if there's something going on between you, where you don't like him or you don't like her, but I don't want that happening on our next anticipation discussion. Got it?"

Haruka and Shu gave a quick nod of understanding. She could feel her fists clench as she recalled the conversation in her mind. She didn't even do anything, she noted.

The professor dismissed the two. As she walked out of the classroom, her anger rose. She'd never gotten in trouble with a teacher before. Shu seemed indifferent, as he pulled out a pair of headsets and placed the buds in his ear. He was already halfway down the staircase.

"Hey!" Haruka snapped behind him. He ignored her and continued walking down the stairs. She quickly caught up to him. "Hey!"

He opened the door, seeming to not even have her within his regards, because the door was slammed into her face, only adding to her anger.

"Hey!" She grabbed his shoulder and forced him to look at her. He looked rather nonchalant.

"Can I help you?" he asked. Haruka glared.

"What's your problem?" she spat. Shu smirked and gave her a shrug.

"I don't have a problem," he told her, as he walked towards his next destination.

"What the hell was that back there?" She followed him.

"You may wanna be careful. Your little paparazzi won't like it if you act up," he mocked.

"Do you not like my career or something?" This caused him to stop, the look of amusement was now replaced with one of utter irritation.

"Why does it have to be about you? Like, seriously, I was just expressing the opinion I had, and you're going to get upset? God, you daddy girls are all the same." This made her silent. She glared into his constantly moving eyes, narrowed in anger. After a few moments, he walked away from her, turning his iPod on once more, to turn the volume up. What she saw on his screen shocked her.

It was a soundtrack from one of her movies.

* * *

As it turned out, Yuki was in the other two Monday classes she had, history and speech. Once he got over his 'Wow, you're famous' phase, he was actually a cool guy. She had finished the day with no more complications than a few people asking for an autograph or some bad comments directed towards her movies.

At 1:55, she was done with speech, and therefore the rest of her day. She exchanged numbers with Yuki (who had appeared rather excited, as he had held the paper in his hands saying "oh, my god, I have Haruka Tanaka's number!", much to her annoyance), and walked to her car. As she pulled out her keys, she noticed a flash of green before her. Before she knew it, Shu was leaning against her car, a smirk plastered on his face. Suddenly, the anger that she had felt when he had ridiculed her in class before returned.

"What. The hell. Are you. Doing," she asked with a glare.

"A 2012 Chevrolet Camaro? How plain. No Ferrari for daddy's girl? Or is it at your summer home?" he asked, mockingly.

Haruka was confused. She was used to people saying she was spoiled. She was used to people saying mean things to her face. What she wasn't used to was people going out of their way to criticize her. She didn't have anymore classes with this guy today, so why was he so intent on her?

"What is your problem?" she asked him for the second time that day. "Are you seriously mad because I had an opinion in English class? Is that really how school works?"

"Yeah, actually, it is. But I'm not mad at you. I have no problem, I just came over to compliment you on your..." he looked at her car with amusement. "Interesting tastes."

"Of course. So now you don't like my car?" she argued. He raised his hands up in defense.

"I said you had interesting tastes, didn't I? What more do you want?" With that, he started to walk away from the parking lot. Haruka felt compelled to ask, despite her frustration towards the boy.

"Where are you going?"

"To my dorm, daddy's girl. Not everyone can afford a fancy house," he said.

"What was the point of even- Never mind, I've had enough of this." She got into her car, putting her keys into the ignition. As she drove off, Shu watched her with a smirk and a shake of his head.

* * *

"So," Senri Tanaka started, at the dinner table. "How was your first day of college?"

Dinner was never silent in the Tanaka home. The sounds of silverware hitting glass plates or bowls was always drowned out by her father's asking her about her day, giving advice for her next movie, or telling her how to become more successful (which usually turned into a lecture).

"It was okay," she answered, driving her fork into her meat.

"Did you meet any new people?" he asked, his face stuffed with mashed potatoes. She nodded.

"I met this cool guy in Lit. class, and even got his number. He's in all of my-"

"You what?" Senri dropped his fork and placed his hands on either side of his plate; a sign that had come to be known as his 'You-did-something-wrong' gesture. Even Mitsuko, her mother, looked at Haruka as though she was worried. Masato, her 15 year old brother, simply looked down towards his dinner, continuing to eat his food.

"Uhm...I met this guy in my Lit. class?" she repeated, not sure what she did wrong.

"And?" Senri glared.

"And I got his number?" At this, Senri place his elbow on the table, and buried his face in his hands.

"Please don't tell me you gave him your number," he said, peeking through his fingers. She didn't say anything, too scared to reply. "Dammit, Haruka!" he snapped. Haruka jumped at the yelling. Mitsuko placed a hand on Senri's shoulder and looked at Haruka.

"Haruka, giving your number out is quite dangerous," she explained. "This boy can easily give your number out to the wrong person and that could end up causing trouble."

"Or he can use any texts against you and make them public," Senri added. "If the wrong thing gets out, it'll ruin your career."

"But, Dad, he wouldn't do that. He's not like that," Haruka argued.

"Like hell he's not. Just wait until you two fight."

Haruka didn't reply. She merely stared down at her plate, just as Masato had.

"Don't give your number to anyone else," he ordered. Haruka only nodded. Senri turned his attention towards his teal-haired son.

"How were your lessons?"

Haruka spent the rest of her dinner in thought, as Senri began to lecture Masato on the boy's upcoming movie.

* * *

A/N: there's your exposition. People are introduced and relationships are established. It's rather short and choppy, in my opinion. I kept changing everything cause I wasn't satisfied. I'm still not satisfied, but I figured if I don't post it now, I never will. I'm probably going to re-edit this sooner or later.

i'd like to point out, before someone calls me out on OOCness, this is a different world. So I just took general aspects of their personality in the show, and tweaked it to how I think they'd be different under these new circumstances. So yes, they are different. Please don't bring it up.

criticism welcome

CRITICly Anonymous


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: this is more of a filler chapter than anything else. I'm not satisfied with it, but I wanted to get the third chapter in order, seeing as it's a mini turning point of the story. Also, chapter one was extended at the end, so I would suggest going back over it, before reading this one.

* * *

Breakaway- Chapter 2

Under the strongly encouraged advice of her father, Haruka signed up for an acting class. He had been short of her minoring in acting however, after much pleading, finally allowed her to just take the class.

Unfortunately, she was beginning to regret even that, as a recognizable green haired boy entered the classroom. Shota, who seemed to be around everywhere he went, accompanied him, followed by a purple haired girl she had never met. The trio didn't seem to notice her, however, as they all took places in the back of the class and carried a conversation.

"We can practice after classes today or something," Shota said. Shu only nodded in response. "Do you know where it's gonna be at?"

"Clementine Auditorium." Shu replied. He ran his hand through his hair. "Ugh, I have to buy a 50s suit...I don't have any money, either."

"What's wrong with the ones the department has?" Shota asked.

"They're all too big."

Haruka continued to listen to their conversation with interest, attempting to figure out what they were talking about.

"Hitomi, can I borrow a couple bucks?" Shu asked. The purple haired girl, presumably Hitomi, shook her head.

"Sorry, Shu. I spent the last of my money on rent. My water's even been cut."

The group continued to talk about "The Department", suits, and money, leaving Haruka to sit quietly to herself, seemingly invisible. It wasn't until a few more students came into the room, did they finally notice, only because one student had pointed her out.

She turned towards the sound of her name, catching the trio look at her in her peripheral vision. She wished she had pretended not to hear. The smirk on Shu's face was almost haunting.

As the class started and went on, she could feel Shu's eyes on her.

* * *

As Haruka reached to open the doors to exit the building, she was stopped by Shu, who opened them for her. She muttered a quick thanks and exited, hoping that would be the end of their meeting; that perhaps he wouldn't talk to her or was bored. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yeah, actually. You can," he replied, much to her surprise. That wasn't supposed to be what he said. He was supposed to shake his head, say no, and go away. Isn't that some sort of rule?

She didn't reply. She only looked back at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Do you have the book that's required for Acting?" he asked. She nodded. "Can I borrow it?"

"For?"

"For something to jack off to, Haruka." he answered, sarcastically. "What do you think?"

She looked at the book of plays in her bag, debating whether or not to allow him the privilege.

"I need it for something," she lied, deciding against it. He raised an eyebrow.

"And that is?"

"Why does it matter?" She was annoyed with how amused he seemed to be. Was this a joke to him?

"Feisty much?" he pointed out. "Why are you so angry all the time? Have your daddy's temper, do you?" Despite his teasing, he seemed to be getting annoyed with the girl.

"I'm not angry," she snapped.

"Coulda fooled me," he muttered. "See ya, daddy's girl." She watched him depart, waiting until she could no longer see him to leave.

* * *

As days went on, Haruka found herself seeing Shu more and more outside of class to the point of ad nauseum. She was sure that the boy was stalking her. At times, she could hear her name among his two friends as they passed by each other on campus.

When she passed by Shu, it seemed he always made it a point to give some sly remark. She'd return the favor, and before she knew it, they'd be in a little mini war. The reason for the argument always changed.

As Haruka sat in her Literature class on a Monday morning, her fourth day of the class, she had managed to finally get a schedule: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were Literature, History, Speech, head to her car, argue with Shu, get frustrated, get into her car, think about how annoying he was, head home. Tuesdays and Thursdays were Statistics, Acting, argue with Shu, and head home, with no time to sit in frustration in her car. There were many times throughout her day where she would see him, whether it would be during a break or a stop for a cup of coffee, and he would make some snide remark.

Over time, his patience seemed to be wearing thin (_not sure why he's the one who needs to be patient, seeing as he always starts this crap_, she thought to herself). Rather than his teasing, as he had started out with, he had begun making some downright rude comments. This didn't help any part of their relationship, and had begun to make her dread Literature and Acting classes.

Today, however, seemed different. He didn't seem to acknowledge her at all. As he walked into class, he seemed a little more than irritated. Even as he had his normal debate with Shota, today's topic being something about abortion and men's rights, he seemed rather snappy. It was something that was unusual, as well as something Shota either didn't notice or didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah, well, the chick never seems to see it that way," Shota replied to some argument Shu made.

"Maybe she fucking should." It seemed to be the end of the discussion, as he slammed open his notebook and began writing things in it.

When he looked up, his eyes met hers, causing her to look up, pretending to be checking the clock above his head. He couldn't know that she was actually interested in him. As she looked away, she happened to notice that his usual smirk was replaced with a dirty look.

* * *

What surprised Haruka the most about Shu's behavior for the day was that he didn't meet her at her car as he usually did after Speech. As well as refreshing, it was somewhat...lonely. She had met Shu so often throughout her day, that he hid the fact that, other than Yuki, she didn't talk to many people.

As if on cue to interrupt her observations, she received a text from her friend.

"You want to get some coffee at Library?"

She texted back, excited to actually do something for once, even if it was still on campus. She scanned the buildings looking for the one that said Wilson Library. When she saw it, she text back a quick "Sure", put her bags in her car, and headed off.

The library wasn't too far of a walk from the parking lot, being two or three minutes away at the most. As she entered the building, she looked around for her friend. It wasn't long before she heard Yuki's voice.

"Haruka!" She turned towards the direction and spotted Yuki in the line of the coffee shop. Unfortunately, she spotted Shu and Hitomi in front of him.

"Dammit," she cursed. Why couldn't she go just 30 minutes without this guy? She made her way towards Yuki's spot in line. She was sure that his outburst had drawn the attention of the duo in front of him.

"Hey," Yuki greeted. She responded with a smile. "Did you hear that Satoshi Suzuki is going to be coming here? Well, you probably have, I-"

"What?" She didn't know of this. She stayed out of the gossip, under her father's orders.

"Yeah, he'll probably be here this week. I saw him on the Lit. and History roster and looked it up. I guess someone told him it'd be a good idea."

She felt doomed. Everything that she had worked hard for to gain the normalcy she'd hoped for was gone. One celebrity at a school was fine. After a while, people settled down, and began acting like they were just a normal person. Two, however, especially of the opposite sex, spelled disaster. People would expect them to be friends, or would try to make them out as the perfect couple. Haruka was drawn out of her thoughts at the sound of the cashier's voice.

"What would you two like?" Haruka and Yuki both looked at the menu.

"I'll take a Venti strawberry creme frap," he ordered. He looked towards Haruka. "Don't worry about paying, I got it." She looked back in wonder.

"Are you sure? I have money to take care of it." Yuki nodded. Haruka smiled. "Thanks. I'll have a double chocolate chip frappuchino, Venti."

"What's this? Can't even pay for your own drinks, huh?"

Haruka turned around towards the all too familiar voice of Shu, sipping on his own coffee. Again, his usual smirk was replaced with a dirty look. Yuki was too busy counting change to notice.

"You know, Shu," Haruka said. "today was going swell with you not talking to me."

Shu seemed to ignore her comment, instead paying attention to the pastry in his hand.

"Would you like a turnover?" he asked with another sip of his hot drink. Yuki, now done paying, turned back around.

"Shu! Hey." Shu replied with a nod of his head.

"Well?" he asked Haruka. She glared. Why was this guy so moody?

"No," she replied, turning her attention elsewhere. The green haired male shrugged and attempted to throw it away. He was stopped, however, by Yuki.

"I'll take that!" he called out. Shu tossed him them bag. "Why'd you get it?"

"The cashier made a mistake with my order," he explained, as Yuki greedily dug through the bag. His gaze drifted back to Haruka. "So...You missed me so much that you couldn't even go one day without a friendly visit?" Yuki looked between the two.

"Visit?" He was ignored.

"I'd hardly say 'friendly,'" she scoffed. He shrugged.

"Whatever you say." He walked away without another word, leaving her to glare at him.

"What was that?" Yuki asked, confused.

"Nothing," she replied, looking at the counter. "I think our drinks are ready."

* * *

When Haruka returned home, she relayed her newly discovered information to her father.

"So," her father had replied. "how do you feel about Satoshi going to the school?"

"I dunno, really..." she lied. She knew how she felt. She was angry. This random boy was going to come in and ruin everything.

"I cast him in one of the movies I worked with...he's a good fellow. Try to befriend him," Senri suggested. Haruka nodded, not exactly sure she could follow through with her father's wishes.

* * *

A/N: yeah, like I said, this was just a way to get some information out there. I don't think I'll be editing this one either...

CRITICly Anonymous


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Warning: this chapter isn't completely edited. I usually take about three days to edit, and get the stories beta'd, but if I want to get a good majority of this story up, before classes start up again, I can't be as particular as I was before. So my apologies in advanced.

* * *

Breakaway- Chapter 3

By her sixth day of English, the second week, Haruka was used to the new system. She was beginning to feel normal, something she hadn't quite experienced, due to her father being a famous casting director. When she grew old enough to play in movies, the normality she had desired had grown completely out of reach.

She loved her life, she truly did. She wouldn't trade it for the world. But sometimes, she wanted a break from the glamorous lifestyle, where people would follow her, her only friends were other actors, and she was expected to maintain this perfect image.

Sometimes, Yuki could get pretty annoying, but most of the time he was fun. After the coffee shop, the two were seeming to hang out more. He was a relief from her usual home life. He also seemed to protect her from 'those fans'; the strange ones that were a little too obsessed for their own good. Occasionally, she'd run into someone who she felt she didn't mesh with, or didn't want to converse with. Yuki would scare them off somehow.

When she wasn't hanging out with the ruby eyed boy, she was spending time hidden in the dark, attempting to remain invisible. She'd find herself hidden behind books on the second floor of the library or in her car relaxing. Sometimes, Shu would find her and begin a new mini war, much to her annoyance.

Today didn't seem any different. She had thought this was going to be how the rest of her semester would be. Unfortunately, fate didn't exactly have that in store for her. At the news of the new boy on campus, she knew there would be some changes.

Haruka was first in class, as always, followed soon by Yuki, who greeted her with a smile. It wasn't long before Shu and Shota came into the class with their usual , it seemed as though their passionate argument was somewhere along the lines of the which Disney movie taught children the worst lessons.

"How can Lion King not have encouraged racism?" Shota claimed. Shu rolled his eyes.

"I didn't say it didn't. I just said Lion King encouraging racism isn't exactly as bad as Snow White's stressing the importance of appearance."

Shota glared.

"Say that to the holocaust victims," he muttered, angrily.

"Now, that's not even fair!" Shu snapped. Before he could continue his argument, the classroom door opened, revealing the dreaded new student.

"Yo!" he introduced. "The name's-"

"Satoshi Suzuki!" Yuki finished, excitedly.

Shu had a look of disgust on his face.

"You're joking, right?" He looked at Shota. "This has to be a dream. A bad one." Shota chuckled.

"Two famous people too much for you, Shu? Jealous of their glory?"

Haruka faced forward, hoping to avoid Satoshi's gaze. Apparently looking somewhere else didn't make one invisible, as she had hoped.

"Haruka Tanaka! I'm a huge fan!" Satoshi had quickly pinned her out, as if he'd been expecting her in this class. She smiled, despite her immediate dislike for this boy. She knew this moment was coming and yet, what was she supposed to say?

"Uh...nice to meet you!"

"Oh, god, yes," Shu cut in. "How pleasant. What could I have possibly done to be in the same room as two..." He glanced between Haruka and Satoshi. "One talented actor." Next to him, Shota grinned. He seemed unaffected by the actor in his presence, and instead, more entertained by the green haired boy.

A blush crept up her cheeks. This, to Haruka, was the ultimate insult. He had questioned her ability to act, in front of another actor, nonetheless! If Satoshi felt this was how she was being treated by everyone, it wouldn't be long before the magazines stated that she was being bullied in school. If her father felt that was the case, he'd force her to pull out of college in a heartbeat.

"Uhm...thanks?" Satoshi replied. It was clear he didn't know how to react to Shu's comment.

"Don't worry about him, man." Shota said, waving his hand towards his friend dismissively. "He's just jealous." Shu glared at Shota, before continuing their previous argument.

Satoshi took a seat next to Haruka, much to her further annoyance.

"Is everyone like that?" he asked her, suddenly seeming self-cautious.

"Not really," Haruka answered. "He's just kind of a jerk." At this, Shu glared at her and turned his attention back towards Shota.

"So, why are you starting classes so late, Satoshi?" Yuki asked. Just as he had with Haruka, a smile was plastered on his face. She wanted to roll her eyes at his seemingly suck up attitude. Were all people like this?

"I had some trouble getting my classes confirmed and running through financial aid," Satoshi explained. "On top of that, I got my acceptance letter a little later than everyone else. I nearly had to wait til next semester, but I managed to pull some strings."

As more and more students filled into the classroom, the volume had increased. They saw Satoshi and Haruka, sitting next to each other and walked over, finding the courage to introduce themselves.

"Wow, two famous people in one room? Is that allowed?" one girl had said. Izumi walked up, asking why he'd chosen to go to school suddenly.

"Oh, a friend of mine encouraged me to do it," Satoshi replied.

"What friend?" She looked at the brunette next to him. "Haruka?" Haruka shook her head and smiled.

"Not me!" she replied. '_And here it is..._' she thought, spitefully. '_Where everyone thinks were friends, just because we both act._'

As class progressed that day, it was much more rowdy than usual. The class was excited, clearly. The professor had to dismiss class early, with a promise to work harder the next meeting.

As she packed up, anger surged through her: for Shu, for his stupid, embarrassing comment, for Shota for encouraging it all the time, for Satoshi for not only coming into the school, but to her class!

She decided to skip her next two classes and go straight home. She didn't want to deal with Shu later on, and she didn't want to deal with Satoshi now. Yet, despite her planning, Shu met her at her car, with his stupid, annoying, immature smirk and his hand in his jacket pockets.

"Do you think you're being impressive or something?" Haruka asked, as she opened he car door.

"What do you mean?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"Just because you think I'm a horrible actress, doesn't mean you have to embarrass me in front of others who have the same career as me!" she snapped. His previously amused expression fell to one of genuine confusion.

"Huh?"

"Before! The whole 'one talented actor' thing!" Her face was red from anger. Her mind was racing. She didn't understand this guy. Just because he didn't like her acting, he had the nerve to make her look like a fool?

"I never said you were a horrible actress," he stated, a frown on his face. "You're not. You're quite impressive, actually."

"What?" This had thrown her off her guard.

"I never said you were horrible," he repeated. "I think you're rather talented."

She thought back for a moment, recalling how his eyes had landed on her when he had changed his statement from "two talented actors" to "one talented actor." Through all of his constant teasing, she had never considered the possibility that he thought she was talented.

"Your voice is nice, as well." He pulled out his iPod. "I even have some of your songs."

"Oh..." she said, her voice small. He smirked and walked closer, his hands still in his pockets.

"You're even kinda cute," he admitted, scanning her face. She wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. An hour ago, this guy was insulting her, now he was complimenting her?Are guys really this bipolar? Or was this one just crazy? 'Well, he does have green hair,' she reasoned to herself.

"So why'd you say that before? That sarcastic remark?" She asked. She was met with a shrug.

"Satoshi is a bad actor. Thought that was obvious," he explained. "Haven't you seen his latest film?" She shook her head. "Ah, well, it's quite horrible. Should've seen the scene where his mother died. He acted like he just lost a video game or something. Some people really don't deserve to be actors."

Haruka was honestly confused with the entire situation. The last week goes by, and this guy acts like a complete jerk to her, now suddenly he was talking to her as if she were a friend?

"What are you doing with me?" she asked, annoyed. His look of confusion returned. "You've been a jerk all week, and now you're over here acting all friendly. I can't do bipolar, Shu!"

"Bipolar?"

"Yes, bipolar. Either you like me, or you don't, which is it?"

"Wait..." Now it was his turn to be annoyed. "Just because I tease you a bit, I hate you? I'm a jerk? What the hell kinda logic is that?" She was shocked at how angry he seemed. "Is this seriously how your world is? Everyone has to live up to your behavioral standards, and agree with you, and behave how you want them to behave? I bet they laugh at all your jokes, and suck up to you, right?"

"That's not-"

"No, seriously? You said in an interview that you wanted normal. You wanted people to treat you like you were a normal person, and now that I'm treating you normal, I'm a jerk that hates you? Seriously?"

The look of disgust that had been on his face when Satoshi had walked into the room was back, and it somehow made her upset that it was now directed at her.

"Is this really normal for you?" she snapped. "This isn't normal, Shu, it's mean."

"It's called reality, Haruka. Just cause I don't act like all those dumbass stereotypes in your stupid movies, doesn't mean I'm not normal." His angry expression was replaced with one of mock amusement. "You know what? I'm an idiot. I saw you on TV, I saw you on interviews, read about you, and I thought you were..." He stopped and looked at her with disgust, once more. "I don't even know. Whatever. Sorry for ever bothering you." With that, he walked away. Just like that.

Angry, Haruka got into her car and slammed her door shut. She glared at his back, as he walked his way into the science complex, where math and science classes took place.

"What a jerk!" she yelled at no one in particular. Her breathing was quick. She forced her key into her ignition, and folded her arms as she let her car warm up.

'What a jerk! How dare he?!' She thought, turning her glare towards the steering wheel.

'He's not normal! Normal people don't do that! Takeshi never did that, or Kasumi, or Saori...'

As she continued to name instance or other people, her thinking became clearer. Her anger slowly subsided as she realized one thing in common between the people she had thoughtfully named: they were like her. They had people watching them, expecting them to be perfect. She thought back to all of the people in her life, after her father pulled her out of school. They'd all been that way. They were all fake, she realized. She glanced back to the door Shu had disappeared through.

He was right. All she'd wanted was normalcy, but all she'd been doing was comparing it to her completely not normal life. She thought back to how she'd gotten annoyed with Yuki for his over obsession with sexual jokes, how funny everyone else found them. She thought about how she felt, that he was incredibly immature. But that was normal, wasn't it?

With a sigh, she checked the time. 8:53. The next round of classes wouldnt start until 9:05. She turned off her car and got out. She had to find Shu. She walked in the same direction he had, and into the same doors.

She looked around the unfamiliar building. It was much different than the English building. The English building looked so old, whereas this one looked much more modern.

It didn't take long for her to find Shu, seeing as the lobby was pretty much empty. He was on the far side of the building, where a cluster of chairs sat in a circle. Three of the four chairs were filled, one of them by Shu, another by Shota, and the last, Hitomi. She began to walk towards the group, until she had been able to hear her name. She stopped and remained hidden by the stair case. It appeared as though they had been in the middle of conversing, with the Shota and the purple haired girl listening to Shu's rant.

"I'm just done with it now. God, I can't believe I _actually_ listened to that shit," he finished. Shota chuckled.

"Oh, come on, Shu. She was a chick surrounded by certain people all her life. It's not like she actually knew what normal really was."

"And," the purple haired girl jumped in. "She always does what daddy tells her to do. You think she decided on school all on her own? Hell no. You see how much she hates it here. Daddy probably said 'Hey, what other way can I exploit my daughter to gain publicity? Oh, I know, let's have her look like a good role model by going to college when her life is already set!"

The three friends laughed. Haruka listened in pain. Is this what everyone thought of her?

"That Satoshi Suzuki guy probably wanted in on the action." Shota guessed. "It'd explain why he started school two weeks late. Who the hell even does that? Is that even allowed?" Hitomi shook her head.

"I heard Haruka Tanaka's father suggested it to him," she revealed. "Another publicity stunt, no doubt. God, what is it with celebrities these days? Don't they get enough attention?"

"Oh? What's this? Haruka Tanaka ate a sandwich, this is _such_ a big deal!" Shota joked. "OMG, I've got an idea! Lets all write an article about it, and tell the world, rather than inform our readers about shit that really matters?" Another three way laugh.

"Eh, I guess you guys are right," Shu said, sounding disappointed. "All celebrities are the same."

As she listened, tears stung Haruka's eyes. She didn't care about the fact that they had low opinions of celebrities. Lots of people did. But they had given her a clean slate, and she ruined it. There was no way she could face Shu now, even if it was to apologize. Not if this was a new opinion of her.

"It's 9, guys. We'd better head to class," Shota suggested. The group began to pack their bags. Shu seemed to take his time, whereas the others had already walked passed the opposite side of the staircase.

Haruka pressed herself against the side of the staircase, not expecting Shu to pass on her side of it.

Shu seemed just as surprised as she was to see her.

"Haruka?" He looked back where he'd been sitting, to measure the distance between where she was an where he had been. His eyes widened when he realized she could easily hear everything they had said. "Haruka, why are you here?" he asked, obviously hoping something had kept her distracted enough to not listen. The look on her face, however, told him he hadn't been that lucky.

"I-uh..." Her voice cracked. She could feel tears threaten to fall. Her throat felt lumpy. Her eyes found their way toward the deli. "I wanted some food. I-I got hungry, and...and, uh...now I'm not. I'm just gonna go." She quickly turned on her heel to leave, leaving Shu to stare after her. Before she even got more than 10 feet away, she turned. "Uh, Shu..." He could see the tear that followed the shape of her face.

"Yeah?" he replied, pretending not to notice.

"I'm sorry. I just..." She paused, in thought. "I'm really new at this, at everything. I'm really sorry." Once again, she turned, pacing out the door.

Haruka opened the door forcefully, rushing to her car. She wiped her eyes from any tears as she got in her car. It was her fault wasn't it? She had been angry all the time, quick to judge, and hid herself from anyone who had attempted to befriend her, except for Yuki. Even with Yuki, she'd sometimes avoid him because of how different he was from her own old friends.

With a sigh at her own idiocy, she looked out her window and saw Shu, looking at her from the sidewalk.

* * *

A/N: so, after this chapter, Haruka won't seem as much of an overly annoyed, judgmental, brat. Anyways, the chapter is probably choppy, because I had to cut out the less interesting details that made it flow. Honestly, adding that much probably made it boring. Next chapter should be out before my own classes start up again. After that, updates may be slow.

CRITICly Anonymous


	4. Chapter 4

This chapter starts the official plot.

* * *

Breakaway- Chapter 4

Haruka looked out her car window and saw Shu, looking at her. She continued to stare at him. A moment passed between the two, before he continued down that pathway leading to her car.

He knocked on her window, causing her to roll it down. She didn't look at him; the guy who thought she was some selfish, hateful brat. How could she change that?

"Haruka, about what you heard-"

"Don't you have class?" she asked, interrupting him. He looked towards the building.

"Uh...I can miss a day or two," he said looking back at her. "But-"

"Shu." She put her key in the ignition and started her car. "You said you needed a suit, didn't you?"

"Huh?"

"Before. In acting class. You said you needed a suit."

"Well, yeah, but what's that gotta do with anything?" he asked, confused. She patted the car seat with her hand.

"I know a place where you can get 50s clothes for really cheap," she offered.

It wasn't much, but she wanted to apologize for being the narcissistic, hypocritical bitch he had pegged her to be. She wasn't sure if it was worth anything to him, but perhaps she could change his mind about who she is.

He looked at her in wonder.

"Haruka, you don't have to try to make anything up to me."

"Shu."

"Yeah?"

"Get in the damn car."

* * *

They drove to the store in silence, Shu not exactly knowing how he should react, and Haruka being too lost in thought about her actions. It could be dangerous, what she was doing. If anyone saw her and Shu together and got the wrong idea her father could find out.

That could lead to some dire consequences.

Before they got out of the car, Haruka searched through the back seat.

"What are you looking for?" Shu asked out of curiosity.

"A hat. I don't want people recognizing me," she answered.

"Oooh, and a hat will make you look like a completely different person," he said, sarcastically.

"It does if you wear it right."

"Why don't you want people recognizing you anyway? Isn't that something celebrities take pleasure in? Life surrounded by many fans?"

"What sort of world do you think celebrities live in?" Haruka asked, incredulously. "Your privacy is pretty much stripped from you, you get scorned for living like other people, you-"

"Okay, okay," Shu interrupted. "I'm sorry." She stared at him for a moment, before continuing what she was doing.

"There's nothing to apologize for. Hand me my sunglasses from the thing up there, please," she requested, pointing to the visor.

As the pair entered the store, Shu's eyes widened.

"Haruka, I thought you said this was cheap!" he exclaimed, as he looked at a nearby price tag. She looked at him oddly.

"It is." She began to explore different colors of the same suit.

"This shirt is 49 dollars! It's just a plain white shirt!" Haruka looked back to the shirt he was referring to.

"That's a 1950s extra large, it's going to be a couple bucks more expensive, Shu," she replied, turning back to her suits. He directed his own attention towards a brown suit jacket she pulled out. "How's this?"

"Not 1950s enough," he replied, searching through the same set of clothes she was.

"How is it not 1950s enough? The name of it is 1950s Fleck Tweed Blazer." Nonetheless, she returned it to it's spot. As Shu finished looking through the stack, he sighed.

"Haruka, I can't afford any of this. These pants alone are, like, 2-something."

"Don't worry about it," she replied. "I'll take care of it." She looked around the store. "I'm gonna ask someone for help." she told Shu, about to run off. He grabbed her wrist, to stop her.

"Haruka, if this is about what you heard at the Science Complex, don't think you have to repay me." Shu said. Haruka's shoulders slumped. Her eyes trailed their way up his arm and towards his face.

"This is what people do for each other, right?" she replied with a shrug.

"What? I mean, I dunno, for friends maybe."

"Can we be friends? I mean, I know I've been a little...I dunno, but you were right before. And I really do want to live a life where I don't live in the spotlight. So, can we just be friends?" He was taken aback. Before he could reply, an employee from the store, dressed in a flapper uniform, walked up to the pair.

"Anything I can help you lovely folks with?" she asked with a bright, cheery smile.

"Yes, actually," Haruka replied. "We need a 50s suit for Shu for a...a, uhm..." she looked up towards Shu. "What's it for again?"

"Never you mind," he told her with a smirk. "It's just for a thing."

"Well, how about we go ahead and get you measured up, then." the flapper told Shu before turning her attention towards Haruka. "Do you need anything?" Haruka shook her head and allowed the flapper to lead Shu away.

When the two came back, 20 minutes later, Shu was dressed in a brown 50s business suit, with a hat to match. He held his arms out for her to see.

"Uh...this good?" Haruka looked him up and down, turning him, so she could see all angles.

"No, I don't like the color on you. Try black," she suggested.

"I'm not allowed to wear black."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Just not."

"How about grey?"

"Grey sounds good. It was more expensive, though," he informed.

"How much?"

"260 for the blazer and pants."

"Don't you need a shirt to go under?"

"I have one at home," he replied.

"Go get the suit, I'll find you a shirt." He turned back to the direction where he'd come.

Haruka searched through the many options the store had, before coming across a lavender shirt. Attached to it was a dark grey, almost black, tie. She held it up, attempting to picture Shu in the shirt with a grey suit.

"This should work," she said, satisfied. She walked back towards the direction he'd gone. "Shu? I found something for you! Don't put the blazer on yet!" He grunted in response and came out from the dressing room.

"Is this it?" he asked, grabbing the purple button up. "How much is it?"

"Never you mind," she replied, shoving him back into the dressing room. "Now hurry up. I'm hungry."

"Do you know how to do a tie?" he asked from behind the closed door.

"Yeah," she answered. "Come out and I'll do it for you."

"Hang on, lemme finish these buttons." After a few seconds, he emerged from the room, carrying his tie in hand. "Here," he said, handing her the garment. She proceeded to lift his collar and wrap the tie around his neck.

"Maybe we should get a clip-on," he suggested, as she worked her magic. She made a strange, scoffing-like sound.

"What are you, 12? Besides, nothing's sexier than a man who knows how to tie a necktie."

"But I don't know how to tie a tie," he told her.

"Yeah, well, the girls won't know that."

"Is that really what girls look at in a potential partner?"

"Some of them do. It's sophisticated or something," she replied, finishing up. She patted his chest. "Alright, put on the blazer."

He grabbed the jacket from the room and put it on. After straightening it, he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Grey was a good call," he complimented, turning towards her. He put on a matching hat. "Do you like it?"

She gave him a good look. He wasn't sexy, she decided. But the suit was definitely a step up for him.

"Give it a shave, and I think you'll be able to pull it off quite well. Maybe do something with your hair, too."

"Uh...alright, I guess. Should I take it off now?" he asked.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll get ready to pay."

"Are you really sure about this?"

"Go take it off, Shu," she commanded. He quickly obeyed.

When he returned, the two took their items to the cash registrar to pay. The flapper girl took her debit card.

"Can I see an ID, please?" she asked, almost bored-like.

"What?" Haruka replied In shock. They didn't used to ask for ID here. If she showed her ID, the women may freak out.

"Need to see an ID," the girl repeated.

"Oh, uh..." Haruka stopped to think.

"What's wrong?" Shu asked her. She turned away, speaking softly so the flapper wouldn't hear.

"I'm wearing sunglasses and a hat for a reason," she hissed. Shu looked at the woman, who was now looking at the pair with a baffled expression.

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"Just show her the ID, she doesn't care," Shu said. Haruka glared at him, before facing the flapper again.

"Uh, no problem, but could you like...not freak out?" Haruka requested.

"Bad ID picture?" the flapper guessed, chuckling. "You should see mine. Not pretty." Haruka chuckled nervously with her, as she handed the girl her ID and took off her sunglasses so she could match the picture to her face. As the flapper looked at the name and picture, her eyes widened and she looked back at Haruka.

"No. Way," she said, in whispered excitement. "You're really?" Haruka gave the girl a sheepish smile, while Shu rolled his eyes.

"Really? Just scan the damn stuff," he ordered.

"Yup! Of course," she said, suddenly attempting to sound as professional as possible. As she scanned the items, Haruka put her glasses back on. What would this woman do? She could tell someone that she was here with a guy. Her father wouldn't like that at all.

"Don't worry about it," Shu encouraged her. Was her concern that obvious?

"Don't worry Ms. Tanaka," the flapper said. "Your secret is safe with me...just...can I have an autograph?"

* * *

Haruka and Shu stopped by a nearby self serve frozen yogurt place.

She ate her frozen yogurt in silence. She didn't know what to say. It wasn't long ago when she was calling this guy an asshole in her mind, now she was sitting less than 3 feet away from him, munching on brownie pieces from her dessert.

He, too, seemed to feel the awkwardness of the situation, as he was tapping his fingers on the table and looking almost everywhere but her.

"So..." he started. "What made you, uh..." He stopped as she looked at him and swallowed her food.

"Made me what?" she asked, preparing for another bite. She was glad he was breaking the awkward silence between them.

"Come back, I guess. To the Science Complex."

"Just forget about it, okay?" She scraped the last of the frozen yogurt off of the sides of the cup. "Actually, can we just start over?"

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess this entire time, I feel that I've been looking at everything all wrong. You were right, before. I asked for normal, but pretty much shunned everything that I asked for."

"Haruka, you can't just 'start over' with someone. That kind of stuff only happens in the movies."

"Oh..." She sat in silence, staring into her empty cup.

"I'm Shu," he said after a couple moments. She looked up at his smirking face with a grin.

"I'm Haruka," she greeted, excitedly. His expression changed from a smirk to one of shock.

"THE Haruka? As in 'Haruka Tanaka'?" he questioned. Haruka rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Yes, THE Haruka," she played along.

"May I have an autograph, then?" he asked, raising his cup. She took it from his hands.

"Sure, just, let me..." She searched through her pockets and pulled out a pink highlighter. "Will this work?" He looked at the marker with mock disgust.

"That's pink. I want blue," he told her.

"Too bad," she said, signing the cup.

"Well, that's worth almost nothing, now," he complained. She tossed him the cup, grinning.

"Just because it's signed with pink marker?" He nodded.

"Isn't this the part where you wink and say 'stay in school, kid?'"

"I would, if you weren't, like...7 inches taller than me. Not exactly a kid, now are you."

Their time continued on like this. She was speaking so naturally, as if she wasn't merely here as an apology, but as a friend. She didn't expect it to turn out like this. She had just planned to make up her being a brat to him with a suit, and then parting ways on good terms. Maybe a wave in the hallways, here and there. But the more she talked to him, the more fun he seemed.

He did seem rather arrogant, however. He also teased her a lot. Everything he said made her feel as though he were better than her, just through the way he said things.

"You're really confident, aren't you?" she brought up. The two had been talking for nearly two hours.

"Can never be too confident in yourself," he replied, checking his watch. "I've missed all of my classes, you know."

"Is that bad?" she asked, feeling bad. He shook his head.

"Nah, but I do have some homework I need to be doing. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I can drop you off at your dorm, is that good?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine."

The journey didn't take too long. When she pulled into his parking lot, he grabbed his new suit.

"Thanks, Haruka. I really needed this," he said.

"No problem. Uh..." She paused, in thought. "Do you want my number or something?" He looked impressed with himself.

"Do I want Haruka Tanaka's number?" he asked with a smirk. "Sure, why not." He pulled out a used index card and ripped it into two pieces, handing her one. "Write it on this." She took a pen from her glove compartment and wrote her number, while he did the same.

As they said their goodbyes, she couldn't help but recall her father's command not to give her number out. She was disobeying him, something she didn't do too often. And for what? Some boy she hated hours ago?

* * *

When she pulled into her driveway, she was sure her father would be agitated. She never told him what she was doing. As she entered her house, she began to sift through potential excuses she could tell him. She'd expected an immediate lecture from an angry dad. Instead, she was greeted with what she could only define as a complete stranger.

Her father was grinning- really grinning. Her father. Grinning. Two words that were usually never used in the same sentence, unless accompanied by the word "not."

"Hey, dad?" she said, unsure of herself.

"Haruka, I've been waiting. How did your day with Satoshi go?"

"Huh?" As she expressed her confusion, Senri's grin slowly fell.

"Satoshi...that's who you were with, right?"

"Oh, uh...no, actually. I was with a friend." She didn't know why her father seemed so intent on her hanging out with Satoshi. She wanted nothing to do with the boy right now.

"I see." He stared at her, a mixture of disappointment and anger shown on his face. "He'll be here for dinner tomorrow."

"What? Dad, if we invite over every actor that comes to this school, I'm never going to achieve the purpose I was going for!" she argued.

"It doesn't matter. Have you talked to your agent?"

"No, she actually respects my choice to stay off the charts."

"Excuse me?" he snapped at her. Instantly knowing she went too far, Haruka tried to cover her blunder.

"I mean, no, I haven't." She looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes. He continued to glower at her for another moment before continuing.

"You can't stay off of the charts, Haruka. If you do, you won't have enough publicity to give you the extra boost during auditions. Casting directors put that into consideration as well."

"Shouldn't I be able to wow them with just my talent?" Haruka asked, watching her tone. Senri chuckled.

"You still have no idea how the world works, do you? Anyway, I have an idea that will keep you on the charts, keep you in people's minds, while you're in college."

"And that is?" Haruka asked, dreading the answer. Usually stunts like this were something she'd prefer to stay out of. Her father grinned at her, apparently proud of his own idea.

"SatoHaru," he replied. Her eyes widened at the idea.

"You want me to date him?!" she screeched. He glared at her reaction.

"I don't just 'want' you to date him. You will." He turned his back to the shocked girl. "It's not like you really have to date him. Just make it look like you are in public." As he continued talking, her mind floated back to what Satoshi and Hitomi had said, earlier that day:

'"Oh, a friend of mine encouraged me to do it," Satoshi replied.'

'"I heard Haruka Tanaka's father suggested it to him," she revealed. "Another publicity stunt, no doubt. God, what is it with celebrities these days? Don't they get enough attention?"'

"Dad..." she started, her anger boiling. "Are you the one who told Satoshi to come here?" He looked back at her, seeming rather nonchalant.

"Yes. I am, why?" At this, Mitsuko arrived into the living room with brownies. She probably wasn't expecting the next outburst, as she placed them on the table.

"Dad! I can't believe you! You KNOW how everyone gets! You KNEW why I was going to college! How could you do that to me?" Senri looked ready to make his comeback, angry that she'd made such an outburst, however Mitsuko placed a hand on his arm. Haruka looked at her father with hatred, before storming her way up to her room.

* * *

So, I decided that I'm just going to write. I don't have time during school, which starts this week, to do the editing process. So, I'll read through it, catch all the errors and fashion this into a story that flows best I can, and then come back and edit all the chapters when classes are out for summer in April. That being said, I'm incredibly sorry for the poor chapters to come. Anyone that's seen my reviews knows how I feel about doing your best to post good quality work, and in all honesty, in my current position, this is my best.

Anyway, criticism welcome

CRITICly Anonymous


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Shu's roommate was always staying the night at someone's home. Not that he had a problem with it. He enjoyed the privacy he had. Without his roommate to worry about, he was free to bring girls back to his room as he pleased.

He was a single guy after all, and guys had needs. Lucky for him, many of the girls on this campus were here to start a new chapter of their lives. They were already away from home, away from parents, and living on their own. But they needed more. To many of them, having sex was the ultimate gateway to adulthood.

This is what lead him to where he is now, in bed with a girl who was quickly getting dressed. Her movements were awkward, as though she were deciding whether or not she regretted her decision to sleep with him. She gave him a sheepish smile and said,

"I have to be up early tomorrow. I'll call you," before hurrying herself out the door. He gave a quick nod of his head, acknowledging her words.

Shu took out his phone and scanned through his list of contacts. He smiled as he saw the name he'd come upon so many times before. Since he'd taken her number, he'd selected the option "New Message" so many times. He'd pressed the "End" button the same number of times, his courage always failing him. How does one just text someone they've admired for so long, but never spoke a word to before a couple weeks ago?

Shu sighed, running a hand through his hair, as he turned to glance at the magazine, messily stashed around a pile of books, that he'd possessed for months. It featured an exclusive interview from Haruka, discussing her plans for the future. It was how he came to be at Petalburg University. Originally, he found a great opportunity at a prestigious art school in La Rouse, however after hearing that his long time idol would be attending this school, he immediately changed his decision. What better opportunity to become a famous actor than to follow in the footsteps of one?

Never did he dream of actually being in a class with her, but there she was on that first day. And just as she had requested, he treated her as he would any of his friends. Despite his exterior, however, inside, he was excited. He was happy. Even as he angered her, he had experienced firsthand the fiery passion that made him fall in love with her acting. He'd seen it on the screen, in her movies, how 'into' it, she was. She was his inspiration for acting. He wanted to experience the same passion she had for the art. He especially wanted it to be next to Haruka Tanaka herself.

And now, here he was, on the edge of his bed, his muse's name in the name box of the text message, with nothing to say. How many times had he imagined the conversation in his mind? How many times had he thought of little clever remarks to say to her? How many times had he scripted his own movie, starring Shu Nagano and Haruka Tanaka?

Despite his seemingly clingy and obsessed attitude, he wasn't in love with her; just her passion and talent. She herself was a little too daddy-friendly. Nevertheless, he did want to befriend her. He respected her. After all, he watched her grow up as he did, and watched her talents bloom. He recalled his declarations of marriage when he was a small boy at the age of 12. He bragged to everyone that when he grew up, he would be so great, that even Haruka Tanaka would love him. Shu chuckled at his young naivety.

His young feelings for Haruka began to dwindle as she became more and more dependent on her father. As she grew older, more mature, he often heard the phrase "Dad says," "Dad knows," or "Dad thinks." It was a hindrance to his admiration for her. The girl who had never said no to a challenge, who had always explored her options and talents, who had refused to let anyone do the job for her, had become a caged parrot, with her father holding the key. The girl constantly (and obviously) repeated the words her father must have brainwashed her with.

It was sad, really, how his idol had changed. But in the end, that's life. And life had led him to where he was now, with a chance to see if the adventurous girl he'd come to admire so much was still able to be released from her bird cage.

Shu bit his lip, as he text out his message.

* * *

Haruka wasn't new to the idea of dinner with dad's friends. Every so often, he'd warn the family of a guest for dinner. Usually these guests were to provide some type of advantage to someone, whether it was Haruka and Masato's acting, Mitsuko's modeling, or Senri's directing. Today, it was to Haruka's 'benefit', as her father believed finding her a celebrity boyfriend should be the number one priority. He had even sent Masato off to a friends house, so that Satoshi could "feel comfortable in a mature setting," as her father had claimed.

She knew the procedure by now: dress nice, but not too nice. Talk polite. Be lovable. Don't talk back. No interrupting. In other words, perfection. Her father also held strongly to his beliefs in gender roles. This meant that Haruka was meant to help her mother in the kitchen, where she was now, currently attempting to mix batter for cheesecake. Unfortunately, baking wasn't her strongest point.

"Honey, why are there two cups of butter in the batter?" her mother asked, as she finished the crust.

"Because the recipe called for it," she replied, re-reading through the ingredients. She stomped her foot as she saw her mistake. The recipe had called for two TABLESPOONS. How does someone even mix that up?

"Is something on your mind, Haruka? Are you nervous because of this boy?" Mitsuko asked her daughter.

"I'm not nervous," Haruka replied, tossing the measuring spoon on the counter. "I'm angry. I ask for some time away from publicity so that I can go to college and what do I get? Dad sending me an actor boyfriend specifically to put me in the papers!"

"He's just doing what he thinks is best for you."

"No, he's doing what's best for him. I'm 18, mom, turning 19 soon. I deserve to make my own choices." Mitsuko placed her hand on Haruka's shoulder, rubbing it momentarily before going to correct Haruka's dessert mistake.

Haruka stared at an empty space on the counter, thoughts running through her mind. She clutched her fist as she debated how this night was going to end.

_I'm not going out without a fight_, she decided.

* * *

"The food was great, Ms. Tanaka," Satoshi complimented, finishing the last of his meal. "I can't wait for dessert!" Mitsuko smiled.

"Thank you, sweetie," her mother replied. Senri seemed pleased.

"You know, Haruka did a great deal in the kitchen, as well. Great cook, she is," he attempted to compliment. Haruka gave a small, cute giggle.

"Actually, mom had to do a lot of it. I couldn't even get the measurements right," she admitted. Senri snapped his head towards his oldest child, glaring. His eyes screamed "what are you doing, you'll ruin everything", as though the fact that she were unable to cook was an embarrassing trait she should be ashamed of.

"Ah," Satoshi nodded, confused at the disagreement between father and daughter. "That's cool. I'm not much of a cook either. My best friend, Takeshi, though could really make a day out of any meal."

"Oh, you know Takeshi? Isn't he the best?" Haruka spoke up. "I love a guy who can cook. I mean, if I can't cook, who else is supposed to?" She felt bad. She didn't like to hurt feelings, but she had read on Cosmo once that apparently guys hated it when their girlfriend pointed out useful traits that they didn't have or something along those lines. Sure, they weren't dating yet, but it seemed as though it were still pretty good tip.

"Oh...well, I can cook _some_ stuff. Like meat loaf and stuff, I guess, but I can't really get fancy."

"Fancy is the bes-"

"Satoshi," Senri interrupted before Haruka could finish. "How'd your last movie go? I heard it was top of the charts." Feeling complimented, Satoshi grinned.

"Yeah, it was great. I mean-"

"It was 'Kill or Be Killed', right?" Haruka asked, speaking out of turn. Senri glared.

"Yeah!" Satoshi replied. "So you've seen it?"

"I guess...I mean, personally, I don't think it was _that_ great. My movie 'Beneath the Silver Bullet' was higher on the charts, wasn't it?"

"Yeah..." Satoshi seemed reluctant to talk now, much to Haruka's relief. She hoped Satoshi wouldn't think too badly of her, but what had to be done had to be done. It seemed even her father couldn't think of something to come back from that.

"Haruka, do you mind helping me with the dessert?" Senri asked through his teeth.

"Isn't that mom's job?" Haruka feigned confusion, looking towards her mother. She couldn't make out how her mother was feeling about her rebellion, but she hoped she wouldn't be too angry.

"Actually, sir," Satoshi cut in before Senri had a chance to snap at his daughter. From the look on his face, it was clear his self esteem had been significantly reduced. "It's already almost 9. I should be heading back home." Usually, her father would pull a scripted scene, where he pretended to have bad the time of his life and made a new best friend. 'Oh, so soon?' He would usually say, disappointed. This time, he merely nodded.

"Yeah, don't want the family worrying, right?"

"Yeah, definitely," Satoshi agreed. Senri held his hand out for him to shake.

"It was great having you over. Hope to do it again sometime!"

"Can't wait," he replied, as her father guided him from the dining room.

"See you tomorrow, Satoshi!" Haruka called out. He waved back before departing. Mitsuko looked at Haruka, disappointed. Haruka didn't care. She was in a war. She had to fight for her independence.

As Mistuko collected the plates, Haruka heard the front door close. The next thing she heard was her father's stomping footsteps, storming back to the dining room.

"What _the hell_ is your problem, young lady?" he snapped angrily. "You ruined my plans! There's no way he'll argued to date you aftto that stunt!"

"I don't know why you were surprised, I said I didn't want to! You can't force me to do something against my will!"

"I can do as I damn well please! And you-"

"Dear," Mitsuko cut in. "She _is_ 18. She's an adult now, capable of making her own decisions. We can't force her to date a boy if she doesn't want to."

"This," Senri hissed, pointing at the ground for emphasis. "This is the _exact_ type of thing I was trying to prevent, Mitsuko! This...this rebellion! I don't know what is wrong with you teenagers these days, but I _refuse_ to tolerate it under MY OWN ROOF FROM MY OWN DAUGHTER! That impudence was unacceptable!"

"Maybe 'impudence' is the only thing that gets unreasonable fathers to listen!" Haruka argued. "I'm an _adult_-"

"Then act like one!" Senri screamed back.

"Maybe I am!" Silence filled the room. Mistuko looked back and forth between Haruka and Senri, as they glared at one another. "Next semester, I'll be staying on my own."

"Your '_college_'," Senri spat, distastefully, "won't let you stay alone until you're 21-"

"Or if I stay in a dorm," Haruka interrupted. Senri continued to stare daggers at her.

"Go to your room. Masato will be home soon and by the time he does, this attitude of yours better be done and over with...for good."

"Mine will if yours will," she said, before storming her way upstairs.

* * *

Haruka buried her face in her pillow, frustrated. It was unfair, what her father made her do. It was an outrage. He had no right to control her life like this. Yet, here he was, forcing her to have a boyfriend, forcing her to take certain classes. Well, no more! She'd take care of herself. She'd make her own decisions. She'd take charge of her own life now...but how?

Her father had held her hand most of her life, making decisions for her, and while she often disliked them, he was usually right. She wouldn't be where she was now without her father, including college. Could she really live her own life without her father's guidance? What would happen to her acting career?

Haruka was distracted when she heard the familiar tone of her phone receiving a notification. She intended to ignore it, not wanting anything to do with the device, but as seconds went by, she reached for the phone. She was shocked to see Shu's name on the screen. She assumed he had forgotten about her, as he hadn't text right away as Yuki had. She pressed the select button, opening the message.

'Would you like to come over?' She had to read the message twice. He was inviting her to his dorm? At 9:30? She prepared her phone for a response.

'cant. not allowed out late,' she text back. She tossed her phone onto the carpeted floor, assuming she was done with it. She had had enough of her father for one night, and didn't want to deal with another round again when she broke the rules.

Haruka groaned out of annoyance when her notification alarm went off again. 'What could he possibly reply to that?' she thought, reaching for her phone once more.

'Course you cant. Fine. Ill come over there. Whats your address?' This guy could not possibly be serious. He was just going to waltz up to someone's door this late and expect some hot chocolate and a welcome? Her father would kill him!

'U cant come here! My dad will kill u!' A couple minutes later, a response was received.

'Ha! Please. Im not bound to your stupid rules. If you dont want me over, then say so.' As she read the text, she contemplated her next words. She felt another streak of rebellion in her. She did want someone to talk to. And Shu wasn't so bad. With a sigh, she text him her address and waited.

* * *

It was 10:10; a whole 40 minutes since Shu's decision to come over. It seemed, however, that he changed his mind. She felt a sense of disappointment wash through her as she sighed and changed for bed.

It was when she was in bed, snuggled and comfortable, that she heard it: tapping sounds. Haruka lifted herself and looked around, attempting to identify the noise. It occurred about every 5 or 10 seconds, just one small tap. She turned her head towards the window, only to see a small pebble hit the window before it disappeared. 'You have got to be kidding me...' she thought, as she slowly walked towards her window. Nonetheless, as she peered out the window, a green haired boy greeted her from below. She opened the window, preparing a whispered speech in her mind about why he was insane. Instead, she was met with his own planned script.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your...brown hair?" Haruka chuckled at his humor.

"I am not letting you into my room, Prince Charming," she replied in a hushed tone. He shrugged.

"Then come down here." She bit her lip. It was chilly outside and she was wearing a thin material. It was also after 10. And what if her father found out? "Hurry up, daddy's girl."

At this, Haruka sighed and lifted her leg over the ledge. Her room was on the first floor, however there was quite a bit of elevation to it, about 6 or 7 ft up. Shu walked closer to the window, probably to make sure she landed safely. As she lifted her other leg over, her only source of security was her bottom on the ledge. Her heart beat fast. Sure, it wasn't _that_ much of a drop, but she'd never snuck out before.

"You're so dramatic," he teased, after 30 seconds of her remaining still. "Come on already, I got you." She nodded and pushed herself off of the ledge, landing on her feet and nearly tripping over Shu, who raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Well, hello to you, too."

"What took you so long?" Haruka asked him. He shrugged.

"Didn't think the walk over would be that long."

"You walked?!" she barked loudly. Shu gave her a warning look, telling her to be quiet. His look lasted a few seconds before he turned away and looked towards her house, beginning to explore the yard and how big everything was.

"Well, yeah, it's not like I have a car," he explained. "Not everyone has a daddy who wants to bless his daughter with twenty-something cars worth hundred-something dollars."

"This again? For your information, I bought my own car and there's only the one." she told him."Dad says people are going to say I'm greedy and 'one of those girls' if he buys me one." Shu looked back towards her.

"Yeah? And what do _you_ think?" he asked. The question caught her off guard. What did he mean 'what do you think?'

"Think about what?"

"Bout rich daddy's buying their kids cars for em."

"I just told you." she said, still confused.

"No, you told me what your dad told you. What do you think about it?"

"Oh..." Haruka looked up for a second, attempting to gather her thoughts. "Well...I guess parents buy cars for their kids all the time, right? So it's not really bad just because your parents happen to have a lot of money, I guess." Shu nodded thoughtfully, before continuing to explore.

"So, having a lot of money must be great, right?" he asked, as his mini journey came to an end. The question slightly annoyed Haruka. It was an assumption that many people constantly asked her about. 'What's it like being famous?' 'What's it like having a lot of money?' Of course being well known was cool, and having money was a plus-side on life, but it's not like she didn't have any of her own problems as well. Her life wasn't perfect.

"I guess." she answered, becoming a little bored of Shu. She thought he would be different. She thought he'd make her forget that she was the subject of many magazines, constant interviews, and her father's over-protectiveness. But apparently not.

"You okay?" Shu asked, sensing her annoyance.

"Yup." The two sat there, in an awkward silence, both left to their own thoughts. His next words were sudden, cutting through the quiet nighttime noises.

"Are..." Haruka looked towards Shu, as he prepared to ask a question. He seemed rather stuck on it, however. "Are you, like...ya know, like..single?" He looked incredibly nervous, not looking in her eyes and fidgeting with his fingers. He seemed to have contemplated asking her this for some moments. He clenched and unclenched the end of his black, long-sleeved shirt.

Haruka burst out laughing. This probably didn't help his obvious uncomfort, but the sight was too much. Everytime she saw Shu, he was this confident guy who just went with the flow. It was no wonder, as the sight of him nervous was quite amusing!

"I wasn't, like, asking you out or anything!" he blurted out, afraid she'd gotten the wrong idea of his question. "I was just curious!"

"I know, I know," she said with a wave of her hand. "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help it." Again, there was a moment of silence between the two, as Haruka considered the question.

"So?"

"I don't know..." she replied, unsure of what to say.

"You don't know? How do you not know?"

With a sigh, Haruka explained her current situation.

"So, they're _making_ you date this guy?" Shu asked incredulously, after she finished. Haruka nodded.

"Yeah."

"Is this really what being famous is like?"

"Not really. It's what being part of my family is like," she said dejected. "Dad's usually behind closed doors with everything, so he tries to up everyone else's publicity. It adds more recognition for him, so people will hire him."

"How fatherly." Shu commented. "How often do you sneak out to see boys your father hasn't approved of?"

"Never," she admitted. "I don't usually go against what dad says."

"So why now?"

That was a good question. Why now?

"I don't know, really," she answered. He chuckled next to her.

"Do you like it?"

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Going against what your dad says? Doing something you want to do?"

"I..."she paused, contemplating her next words, however none came to her. "I don't know." She looked over to the green haired boy, who seemed as though he were urging her to continue. "I mean, when I was younger, I was a really adventurous. I did everything. I even made this little show when I was ten called "Expeditions." I would just run around with my friends and-" she put her fingers together, L-shaped, to make a box. "-just 'film' everything. We'd get attacked by animals or see some new, never before seen sight. It was actually kinda fun."

"'I can imagine," Shu replied, attempting to picture a younger Haruka with her own 'show.' "What happened to change that? You just grow up?"

Haruka remained silent for a few seconds, as she recalled the last "adventure" she had been on. She shrugged.

"My dad was a little more laid back then. He let me be myself. But one day he kinda noticed how all the celebrity teens were acting, and how they had completely dropped their cute, child-acting days. He didn't want that for me. So he started making sure I was a proper, lovable girl and my "Expeditions" show wasn't a part of that."

"Huh..." Shu looked forward, as though in thought. "Guess that...kinda explains stuff?" he said, questioning himself.

"What do you mean?" Haruka asked. He replied by shaking his head.

"Nothing. Are you okay with your dad controlling you?"

"What?" She looked at him incredulously. "He's not _controlling_ me, he's just doing what he thinks is best for me. He's just reeeeaaally over protective about it." Shu rolled his eyes.

"Course he is, daddy's girl."

"He is!"

"Do something your father wouldn't approve of."

"Huh?" Shu's suggestion was rather random, and threw her off.

"Just...do something your dad won't approve of."

"Why?" Haruka asked, a little confused. What was this supposed to prove?

"Because I said so."

"Like what?" she curiously asked. He shrugged, looking up to the sky to think.

"What does he disapprove of?"

"Well, he certainly wouldn't like me sneaking out to hang out with someone like you," she replied without thinking. He let out a snort of laughter.

"'Someone like me?' Wow, if that's not insulting, I don't know what is."

"What?" She noticed her mistake. "Oh! No! That's not what I- I mean, like, you're, like...you...and...stuff..." She buried her face in her hands. "I'm making this worse, aren't I?"

"Don't stress it. If your dad is that against you hanging out with the likes of _moi_, then kiss me," he suggested. Haruka laughed.

"What? I can't kiss _you_!"

"Wow, you're full of insults, aren't ya?" Shu joked. "Why not?" She blushed as it suddenly occurred to her that this boy was serious.

"I-I dunno. I mean, we just became friends yesterday, I can't just kiss you after one day."

"Because of your father?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. She thought about this question. Was it because of her father? Did her father dominate her life enough to affect these small choices? Would she want to kiss Shu if she didn't grow up with her father?

"No," she decided. She just didn't want to kiss someone who was practically a stranger. "It's just something I don't want to do."

"When you let your father dominate your decisions, you'll never live life. Even if it means doing something just because he won't like it." Haruka gave him a smirk.

"And that's the only reason you offered a kiss?"

"Haruka, when I want to kiss you, I'll kiss you. Trust me." She looked at him, skeptical. "Trust me."

"Oookay," she said with a smile.

"You haven't gotten out of this, by the way." he said.

"Out of what?"

"You still have to do something your father would disapprove of, outside of this. I'll let you know when I think of something," he told her. Haruka rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Lover Boy," she teased.

"Lover boy?" Shu questioned, a blush across his face.

"Yup! If you get a nickname for me, I get one for you! And don't think I saw past your attempt to kiss me," she said with a grin.

"Whatever you say, _daddy's girl_. Just know, if you wanna keep calling me 'Lover Boy', I'm going to give you a reason to call me 'Lover Boy.'"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see," he replied with a smirk. "Anyway, I gotta head back to campus. See you tomorrow."

"Do you need a ride?" Haruka asked.

"Nah, I gotta make a stop and you can't risk your dad making you marry this dude because you tried to drive me home. I'll be fine. See ya." He walked away, giving a two fingered wave good-bye.

"See ya, Lover Boy," Haruka said, waving back with a grin. She couldn't tell if she heard him laugh or not.

When she couldn't see him anymore, she turned back towards her window. She looked at the opening with a worried look.

"How do people in the movies get back through these again?

* * *

A/N: I'd been working on writing this in between classes, whenever I have time, so some ideas may be choppy or underdeveloped. Sorry about that. Anyways, I'm a little disappointed that there are only 4 reviews after 4 chapters. I have absolutely no feedback that can guide me in the right direction when it comes to style, characters, plot, etc. That being said, I don't think I'm going to update until I do get some of that, simply because there's no point in posting it if nobody is reading it. Just a head's up there. Criticism welcome.

CRITICly Anonymous


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